Over 90 per cent of Rwanda’s historical artifacts including cultural materials, political documents, songs, and visuals that are crucial in defining the uniqueness of Rwandans, remain in colonial museums according to Robert Masozera, Director General of the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA).
He made the revelation on Monday, October 27, as Rwanda joined the world in celebrating the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage for the fifth time.
According to him, former colonial powers, particularly Germany and Belgium, have been reluctant to return historically significant artifacts.
He added that laws in those countries have made it difficult to repatriate these materials, including some which were collected from Rwanda and other parts of Africa.
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“Audiovisual heritage is very important. It is unique, yet what we currently have in our archives is very limited. Most of what we possess was returned after long negotiations. However, this represents only a small fraction, less than 10 per cent, compared to what still remains abroad, a situation similar to that of many African countries,” he said.
WATCH: Robert Masozera, Director General of the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy, explains the importance of safeguarding audiovisual heritage to ensure that the image of the past is preserved for future generations, as Rwanda joins the world in celebrating the World Day for… pic.twitter.com/Cqg6s3g4OY— The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) October 27, 2025
Speaking at the event held at Ministry of Unity and Civic Engagement on October 27, he highlighted the importance of information contained in visuals and audio recordings, and pointed at the current efforts to preserve those that are within reach.
“We are mostly preserving recent historical documents. We have testimonies from Genocide survivors and many records from after 1994; however, a lot were lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, though some have since been recovered,” he said.
“The ongoing efforts aim to encourage citizens to submit such materials to the National Archives for general use, as they are sensitive and must be stored carefully under proper preservation standards,” he added.
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When asked whether there is hope that the remaining artifacts will be repatriated, he said negotiations are ongoing and that progress is possible through continued cooperation, as those still holding the items have begun gradually responding to Rwanda’s requests.
“They often agree to provide us with copies rather than the originals and that’s where the problem arises. We insist on reclaiming what rightfully belongs to us, while they can keep the copies. It’s not an overnight process to retrieve these materials; we must first identify and list them, as we do not yet know their exact number or specific details,” he noted.
“Some claim that if such artifacts are returned to African countries, they would not be properly preserved and would lose their authenticity over time. However, that is not the case for Rwanda, as the country has established modern preservation measures, we are ready and fully capable of safeguarding our own heritage,” he added.
At the National Archives, the preserved audiovisual heritage currently includes 4,095 Gakondo songs that were returned from Belgium, a film about King Mutara III Rudahigwa, and a documentary that highlights how Rwandans and Burundians (from the former Ruanda-Urundi) accessed education between 1912 and the 1960s.
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Preservation in digital era
Much as efforts have been made to digitise most of the archives in various repositories, mainly electronic books, articles, research papers, white papers and other scholarly content, artificial intelligence is emerging, and some people are misusing it for violations.
“I understand that AI is emerging, and I am concerned. Yes, people can misuse AI to manipulate or forge content and claim what is not theirs, but laws are in place and strictly enforced. It is currently difficult to steal someone’s art. Copyright infringement is not easily possible,” he said.
“We encourage anyone who still has information stored in cassettes, discs, or similar formats to understand that such materials are at risk of being lost. At the National Archives, they can be preserved properly. We encourage people to bring them here for general use. However, we can also train them to preserve their materials themselves,” he added.
